Haicheng.?? ?? 八一Chinese (八)(一)(八).? 8 (a) 1 (a) Z?

"My lord, Cui Yingyuan has arrested the prefect of Suzhou, the Tongzhi of Suzhou and several famous businessmen in Suzhou, and some Jinyi guards and military attaches have taken the opportunity to extort and extort businessmen and wealthy families in the city, which has made the big families in Suzhou panic and have no peace."

While Li Hongyu was practicing tai chi in the courtyard, one of the guards bowed down to report to him that the latest news from Suzhou was now being sent to him every day.

"It seems that through this incident, they will understand that the tiger's ass cannot be touched." Li Hongyu had long expected that things would be like this, so he said while punching, "Tell Vice President Du to stay out of the matter and don't get involved." ”

The guard bowed to Li Hongyu and left, Li Hongyu continued to practice boxing there slowly and methodically, and the gang in Suzhou should also suffer some hardships, and they even openly opposed the imperial court twice in a row, and it was strange that the Emperor of the Apocalypse did not use them this time.

To tell the truth, Li Hongyu didn't care much about the affairs of Suzhou, this was a conflict of interests between the imperial court and local forces, no matter how big the matter was, it had nothing to do with him, as long as it did not affect the production of goods for overseas trade.

Compared with those wealthy gentry in Suzhou, Li Hongyu is more concerned about Zhou Qiyuan and Gao Panlong, this Suzhou tax change has implicated them, Wei Zhongxian definitely does not mind cleaning them up, and used to warn those who try to fool around the country in commercial taxes.

Moreover, Wei Zhongxian is also supporting those tax supervisors who are sent down, and only under the supervision of those tax supervisors can the imperial court receive enough commercial taxes.

It is also a speechless thing to say, the commercial tax was originally an important tax of the state, and with the prosperity of the economy, its importance has been on a par with the land tax.

But the Emperor of the Apocalypse had to send eunuchs to supervise the taxes in order to collect the commercial taxes that should have been paid to the national treasury, not to mention, but also to clean up the local forces in Suzhou, which is really emotional.

Li Hongyu can't help but think now, if Zhang Youhai and the others knew that the Manchu Qing Dynasty would bloody Jiangnan in 20 years, and I don't know if they would continue to resist taxes now, maybe someone would still be able to live to witness the tragedy of the destruction of their family at that time.

The day after Cui Yingyuan arrested the Suzhou prefect, Zhang Youhai and Ge Cheng, the people gathered outside the yamen of the governor of Susong scattered overnight.

Think about it, the officials of the Ming Dynasty are all high-ranking existences on weekdays, especially Zhou Qiyuan, a high-ranking governor, how much friendship can he have with the people?

Therefore, those people gathered around the governor's yamen must have been privately gathered by Zhang Youhai and others, and their purpose was naturally to protect Zhou Qiyuan on the pretext of arousing "public indignation", and Zhou Qiyuan was a key figure in their negotiations with the imperial court.

Now, Zhang Youhai and several other top magnates in Suzhou have been arrested, and the remaining rich gentry and businessmen have realized that the limelight is wrong, so they have enough to support and then let people go to the governor's yamen, if they are caught by Cui Yingyuan, then it will be miserable.

As those people dispersed, the gate of the governor's yamen, which had been besieged for several days, creaked and slowly opened, although Zhou Qiyuan didn't know what was happening outside, but since those people retreated, naturally they couldn't stop Jinyiwei from arresting people.

Therefore, instead of letting Jinyiwei break through the gate of Su Song's governor's yamen and break in, it is better for him to go out in a dignified manner, at least he can save the governor's face and reputation.

Suzhou government office, prison, torture room.

Cui Yingyuan led the way into the cell with a smile on his face, and the cell was so gloomy that there was a strong smell of blood.

In the dim light, a middle-aged man with a big belly was tied to the torture rack, his head drooping and fainting, with blood marks on his body, and he looked like he was covered in scaly wounds.

"Your Excellency!" Seeing Cui Yingyuan coming, the people in the room bowed down and saluted him.

"He hasn't recruited yet?" Cui Yingyuan glanced at the middle-aged man who had fainted, and couldn't help frowning and asked a brocade-clothed guard in the torture room.

"Lord Hui, don't look at the thin skin and tender flesh of this old boy, but his mouth is quite hard."

The brocade-clothed guard bowed to Cui Yingyuan and said gloomily, "Don't worry, my lord, there are still many punishments that have not been used against him, and he will definitely be able to pry his mouth open." ”

"Wake him up." Cui Yingyuan groaned for a moment when he heard this, and then looked at the middle-aged man who had passed out and said to the jailer on the side.

When the jailer heard this, he didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly brought a basin of cold water and poured it on the middle-aged man with his head drooping, pouring him a cold on his heart.

"Don't fight, don't fight, I really have nothing to do with tax resistance." After being stimulated by the cold water, the middle-aged man's body trembled for a moment, and then woke up leisurely, muttering to himself.

"Whether you are guilty or not, the official has the final say."

Cui Yingyuan took the leather whip from the hand of the brocade-clothed guard Baihu, raised the middle-aged man's chin with the leather whip, and said to him coldly, "You know in your heart that you are not wronged when you were arrested here, and the deeds you did secretly are clear." ”

At this time, the middle-aged man revealed his appearance, it was Zhang Youhai, a big businessman in Suzhou.

"You are bent into a trick, sooner or later someone will overturn the case for us!" Zhang Youhai's face was extremely ugly at this time, and he said to Cui Yingyuan when he heard the words.

"Overturned? One thing you have to understand is that the trial of Jinyiwei does not require conclusive evidence like the Yamen, not to mention that you are a small businessman, even the prince and minister Jinyiwei also killed a lot in the edict prison! ”

Cui Yingyuan sneered disdainfully when he heard this, removed the leather whip from Zhang Youhai's raised chin, and asked coldly, "Do you think you can still take it off if the official convicts you?" Have you seen how many cases handled by Jinyi Wei have been overturned? ”

Zhang Youhai's eyes suddenly flashed with a frightened look, Cui Yingyuan was right, Jinyiwei did all the imperial cases, even if it was wrong, no one dared to say anything, you must know that the eunuch standing behind them was not Wei Zhongxian, but the Emperor of the Apocalypse, the Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty.

The case ordered by the Emperor of the Apocalypse is difficult to turn over, no emperor is willing to admit that he has made mistakes, and the cases investigated by Jinyiwei are all acting according to orders, even if there is any deviation, the emperor will not care, otherwise which Jinyiwei will still be willing to work for the royal family in the future?

"Bring it in!" Seeing Zhang Youhai's frightened look on his face, Cui Yingyuan knew that he had been touched by his words, so he shouted at the door.

Soon, under Zhang Youhai's gaze, a young and beautiful woman and a five or six-year-old boy were brought in, and the child was very afraid to hold the woman's hand tightly.

"Sir!" When the frightened young woman saw Zhang Youhai tied to the torture rack, she couldn't help but shout with concern, she wanted to go to Zhang Youhai's side, but was stopped by the jailer on the side.

Zhang Youhai's face became very ugly when he saw the young woman and the little boy, the young woman was his favorite concubine, and the little boy was his son.

"The official can tell you that even if you don't confess, the official can still get your signed confession, and you know this better than anyone else."

Cui Yingyuan noticed the nervousness and worry on Zhang Youhai's face, so after glancing at the young woman and the child, he said to him gloomily, "However, since you are stubborn, then this official will naturally not let you feel comfortable, and this official will let you watch your relatives die in front of you one by one." ”

As he spoke, Cui Yingyuan waved his hand, and a brocade guard rushed forward and snatched the little boy away from the young woman's hand, and then held it high, so frightened that the little boy cried out and struggled helplessly.

"Give back my child, give me back my child." Seeing this, the young woman was so frightened that she wanted to rush up and snatch the boy back, but was stopped by the jailer on the side.

"What do you want to do, he's still a kid!" Zhang Youhai was taken aback when he saw this, and looked at Cui Yingyuan with a concerned expression and asked.

"This official naturally knows that he is a child, but he is not good at reincarnation this time, with a stubborn father like you, it was you who killed him, I hope he can vote for a good family next time."

Cui Yingyuan sneered, said to Zhang Youhai with a somewhat hideous face, and then waved his hand at the guards in the room, "This woman belongs to you, serve her well here!" ”

"Lord Xie, Lord Xie!" The jailers at the scene were overjoyed when they heard this, and they all gathered around the young woman in a daze, pressed her to the table next to her, and began to tear her clothes.

The young woman struggled desperately, but she was no match for the strong jailers, and her dress was quickly torn to pieces.

"Stop, stop, you brutes, stop!"

Seeing this, Zhang Youhai's emotions suddenly became excited, he wanted to save the young woman but was firmly tied to the torture rack, and he could only yell at those jailers who were smiling lewdly, but he knew that those jailers could do anything.

"It seems that your concubine is more important in your heart, since this is the case, let your son go first." Seeing this, Cui Yingyuan said coldly to Zhang Youhai, and then nodded to the brocade guard who was holding a little boy who was crying and wah.

"Stop, stop, I'll recruit everything, recruit everything, the person who killed the official of Jinyiwei was sent out by us, and we want to keep the governor!"

Jin Yiwei immediately made a gesture to throw Xiao Tong to the ground, Zhang Youhai's heart trembled suddenly, and he couldn't help blurting out, how could he watch Xiao Tong being thrown to death in front of him?

"That's right, if you explain it earlier, why suffer so much." Cui Yingyuan raised his hand when he heard this, stopping the brocade guard who was about to fall, and a smile flashed at the corner of his mouth.

At the same time, the jailer who was pestering the young woman's dress also stopped, waiting for Choi Yingwon's latest instructions.

"My lord, I will recruit you for anything you want, please let them go." Zhang Youhai's psychological defense line had collapsed at this time, and he pleaded with Cui Yingyuan with a panicked expression.

"The official can let the two of them go, but it depends on whether you know the current affairs!" Cui Yingyuan knocked Zhang Youhai's cheek with the leather whip in his hand and said coldly.

"I am willing to confess like this, and I will never hide my secrets."

Zhang Youhai's eyes showed a look of despair when he heard this, and the whole person aged more than ten years in an instant, nodded to Cui Yingyuan and said gloomily, "Everything is secretly arranged by us, and we want the imperial court not to touch Suzhou's commercial taxes like in the twenty-ninth year of Wanli." ”

"This official already knows, and the official now wants to know something unclear."

Cui Yingyuan was very satisfied with Zhang Youhai's reaction, his eyes flashed and he looked at him and asked, "Tell this official, how did you bribe Zhou Qiyuan?" How did Zhou Qiyuan instigate you to fight against the imperial court? ”

"Patrol ...... Lord Governor! ”

Zhang Youhai was taken aback when he heard this, and looked at Cui Yingyuan with a surprised expression, he was very surprised by this, he didn't expect Cui Yingyuan to ask about it.

"Don't let this official down!" Cui Yingyuan stared at Zhang Youhai gloomily and said meaningfully.

With a grunt, Zhang Youhai's Adam's apple moved and swallowed a mouthful of bitter saliva, he realized at this time that this time the matter was big, not only was he finished, but even Zhou Qiyuan could not escape.

(End of chapter)